Ultimate Churchill Adventure

A Total Immersion in the North, Including Dog Sledding & a Helicopter Trip to a Polar Bear Den

This expedition is our most thorough encounter with the world of the polar bear and the Canadian North. Travel in heated Polar Rovers over the tundra to watch the bears play and interact, entertaining us just feet away from our large picture windows. But this grand adventure doesn’t end there: We’ll also helicopter in to the bears’ denning area, experience the northern boreal wilderness on an authentic dog sled ride, and enjoy cultural activities with local residents. When night falls, keep your fingers crossed to see the swirling colors of the aurora borealis, as vivid here as any place on earth. “Ultimate Churchill” is the ultimate North!

Meet the First Nations peoples of Hudson Bay and learn about their age-old customs and traditions during special cultural presentations

What Makes Our Ultimate Churchill Trip So Special?

If you're coming all the way to Churchill, the Polar Bear Capital of the World, you may as well take in the entire Northland experience! You'll find no more comprehensive trip than this one, which not only offers outstanding bear-viewing opportunities – plus a chance to enter a polar bear den (vacant, of course!) – but multiple opportunities for in-depth exploration of the nature, culture and history of the Canadian North, too. Find out why our Ultimate Churchill adventure truly offers the ultimate polar bear experience:

The Full Northern Experience
This comprehensive trip includes an element that most visitors to Churchill miss – a deep immersion in the Canadian Northland. While all our polar bear trips offer the chance to encounter local cultures through a dog sled excursion and specially arranged interactions with native Dene and Metis people, this adventure offers the unique opportunity for an in-depth experience of the lives of northern peoples. Add to this the rarest of polar bear experiences – the chance to fly over the vast expanse of the tundra, make a wilderness landing and crawl inside an unoccupied polar bear den – and you've got an Arctic adventure experienced by very few.

Exclusive Permits for the Best Polar Bear Viewing AreaThere are just two polar bear tour operators in Churchill that hold permits to access the full range of the Churchill Wildlife Management Area where the best – and often only – polar bear viewing occurs. Naturally, in our commitment to running the world’s greatest nature journeys, the Natural Habitat / Great White Bear team possesses these permits. Outside of the two permit holders, other operators offer trips aboard school-bus-type vehicles along a paved and gravel road to 'Halfway Point', which is just part of the way to the best polar bear viewing area.

Polar Rovers: The Most Impressive Vehicles in the NorthThe original tundra vehicle designed for polar bear viewing was invented more than 30 years ago. Since then, our partner in Manitoba, a world-renowned specialty vehicle designer, has substantially improved upon this concept by creating the world's most comfortable tundra vehicle – the Polar Rover – which we operate exclusively in Churchill. Its innovative drive train allows us to traverse the tundra with virtually no chance of a breakdown. With the advanced elite suspension system that smooths the ride, and on-board flush toilet facilities (rather than drop buckets that can smell), our guests enjoy the highest level of comfort and safety. See more details on our Polar Rovers.

Mesh Steel Flooring for Close-up Bear ObservationBuilt into the rear viewing platform of every Polar Rover is an exciting feature that we've pioneered for optimal polar bear viewing – mesh steel floors that allow us to come literally within inches of curious bears that often wander beneath our vehicles!

The Smallest Groups for the Best Nature ExperienceAn essential element of our nature expeditions is a small group. While it costs us more to operate with fewer travelers, the experience is far superior, and that's why we insist on it. By limiting our groups to approximately 16 guests (even though our Polar Rovers can hold well over 30 passengers), we ensure that every individual has a window seat and plenty of space to spread out, angle for photos and and enjoy a personal experience with the polar bears without too much intrusion from other guests.

Private Chartered Planes Give Us More Time with the BearsSo we don't waste precious time coordinating with airline schedules or navigating long lines at airport security screenings, we charter our own private aircraft, flying directly from Winnipeg to Churchill at a time that is most convenient for us. We’d rather maximize your time on the tundra, instead of sitting around airports.

The Finest Naturalist Guides on the PlanetNatural Habitat Adventures is known worldwide for highest-quality guides in the industry. Our Polar Bear Expedition Leaders – who have been guiding tours in Churchill for an average of 10-plus years – receive additional training resources from WWF’s top scientists, ensuring that our guests enjoy the best interpretive experience available. Expedition Leaders meet each guest in Winnipeg and travel with the group the entire way, sharing their wealth of knowledge at every turn. Our philosophy is simple: a nature adventure is only as good as the guide, so we simply must provide the best! See Expedition Leader bioswith traveler comments regarding the quality of our leaders.

Our Quality-Value Guarantee Ensures Your Special Polar Bear ExperienceNatural Habitat Adventures offers an exclusive guarantee, clearly stating that we will meet the lofty expectations we set in our promotional materials. To our knowledge, this is the most ambitious guarantee made by any adventure travel company. Read our important promise.

Feel Good About the Way You TravelWe all care about the planet, and on this adventure you can travel knowing that the emissions from your trip are 100% carbon-offset. Natural Habitat Adventures is the world’s first carbon-neutral travel company, a feature that is particularly important when considering that polar bears face a substantial threat from a warming planet.

Natural Habitat Adventures is WWF's Travel Partner
Because of our commitment to environmentally friendly travel, as well as the exceptional quality of our adventures, World Wildlife Fund, the world's leading environmental conservation organization, has named Natural Habitat as its worldwide travel partner, a designation that makes us exceedingly proud!

Reading List

Other Trips You May Enjoy

Alpine valleys carpeted in summer wildflowers, sheer-walled peaks and magnificent wildlife! Discover the secret side of Glacier where nature prevails and crowds are few.7 or 9 Days / Jul - Sep, From $4495